Mortified. That's the word the PR machine decided on. It got used by some cabinet minister before Gordon Brown had even left the house, then Gordon came out with his fake smile and say-words-that-mean-nothing display of contrition on the doorstep and said he was 'mortified', then people like spinmeister Alistair Campbell and dreamy David Milliband used it this afternoon and evening. Mortified. That, and 'profound apology'.

Blah blah blah.

As for the issue itself: if dear Mrs Duffy, who might be a lovely lady in every other respect, had spoken about blacks or Jews or Muslims or Pakistanis "flocking in," how would people have reacted to Brown's comments then?